A Life with Karol: My Forty-Year Friendship with the Man Who Became Pope | 
 enlarge | Author: Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz
Creator: Norman Dietz
Publisher: Tantor Media
Category: Book
List Price: $59.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 2674613
Format: Audiobook, Cd
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Library ed.
Number Of Items: 7
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 6.4 x 1
ISBN: 1400136199
Dewey Decimal Number: 282.092
EAN: 9781400136193
ASIN: 1400136199
Publication Date: March 4, 2008
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Product Description
This intimate, affectionate portrait of Pope John Paul II by his long-time secretary and confidant reveals fascinating new details about the opinions, hopes, fears, and dramatic life of this public man.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
Not What You Might Have Hoped For, But a Good Read Anyway July 3, 2008
If you were hoping this book would give you a very personal look about Karol Wojtyla the man, you will be very disappointed. Stanislaw Dziwisz, Wojtyla's personal secretary for 40 years, discusses only John Paul II the pope.
Furthermore, only slightly more than half of this volume is in Dziwisz's own voice. The other half is written by the "narrator" - Gian Franco Svidercoschi - in "conversation" with Dziwisz. Svidercoschi doesn't bother to introduce himself in the book, but he worked on the 2005 TV movie, "Karol: A Man Who Became Pope," and a book that came out in 2007 entitled "Stories of Karol: The Unknown Life of John Paul II." Svidercoschi is billed as a "well-known Vatican observer" and comes from a Polish family.
I was privileged to meet Cardinal Dziwisz and hear him speak when he did a book-signing June 24, 2008 at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. At that time he confessed he was unhappy with the "overly familiar" and misleading title "A Life with Karol" and had preferred his own title of "Witness," which probably would have been more appropriate. But his editors, Dziwisz said, insisted their title would sell more books.
Disappointments notwithstanding, this book is worth adding to your collection. Dziwisz gives a beautiful, personal accounting of Wojtyla's last hours on earth. And he does a great job of explaining John Paul II's motivations for the unique conduct of his papacy and his responses to the criticisms he received. I found it riveting to the end.
 Very disappointed June 27, 2008
I bought the book excitedly hoping to learn more about the personality and struggles of John Paul II. The book is sadly a hagiography. I'm sure he will be declared a saint, but I wanted to read about the man, not a holy card.
 The Truth June 20, 2008
I loved this book. Cardinal Dziwisz writes a poignant and beautiful
memoir about his life in the service of Pope John Paul II. Many myths are dispelled and we learn the truth about the fall of Russia and the wall in Germany. Behind the scenes truths are revealed for the first time and if you like history this is must read!
KAROL WHO? May 12, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is one more fine tome praising the life and work of Karol Wojtyla, known to the whole world as John Paul II. It is a pleasant and defensive biography of the pope told by his friend of many years. Also, it stands as a nice promotion piece for his possible beatification or canonization.
But, the book is a huge disappointment in terms of revealing anything really personal about the man who elevated so many as Blessed or Saint for the homage of the universal church. The icon is preserved, but the real man called by the Spirit to be a saint and prophet among us remains hidden.
Did Karol Wojtyla: smoke, enjoy mystery or science fiction writing, watch favorite t.v. programs, have favorite films, explore the myriad halls and hidden doors within the Vatican, ever don a disguise and roam the streets of Rome, love chocolates, doff his cassock in favor of mufti, sing in the shower, have pets, shudder at the thought of a forthcoming visitor, get sick from a meal overseas, continue to swim in the famous papal pool, stop and chat with the Swiss Guards or play cards or table games with household workers, have hobbies, prepare a meal himself, and so forth?
So many years we watched him, admired him, were upliftred by him in good times and times of sorrow and sickness, and read his works. When will we know this man who loved to tease, had a playful side, and became a saint?
That is the book which is awaited. I wish Cardinal Dziwisz had shared more of this kind of thing, the insight of a friend.
THOMAS PATRICK HULL,
CHICAGO
A story about a wonderful coragous man who became pope May 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Pope John Paul II was one of the longest living and most dedicated pontiffs of our time. This book is truly the book to read to see what it was like to be in the Pontiffs shoes. It tells of his battles with communism and with war. With the everyday struggles he went through up until his dying day. It is truly a book that will give you the full feeling of what a wonderful and gifted Pontiff John Paul 2 was. One can only hope and pray that we who remember him as pope will one day get to remember him and honor him as a The People's saint.
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